


silver rose.

by awfulchild



Category: Original Work, Pretty Little Liars, Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Drama & Romance, F/F, F/M, Horny Teenagers, LGBTQ Character, LGBTQ Themes, M/M, Mystery, Original Character Death(s), Original Character(s), Original Fiction, Original Story - Freeform, Original Universe, Romance, Sexual Content, Teen Angst, Teen Romance, Teenage Drama, Teenagers, Thriller, pll inspired, riverdale inspired
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-23
Updated: 2019-06-09
Packaged: 2019-11-28 22:20:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,262
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18214397
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/awfulchild/pseuds/awfulchild
Summary: An old town holds many old secrets. mysteries buried in history, forgotten with time. But secrets will always resurface, and sometimes, they can be renewed.The small town of silver rose seems innocent at first. But take a closer look, and you might just need to run away. That's what a group of teenagers realized after investigating the disappearance of their friend.





	1. neighborhoods and party lights.

"Silver Rose. What an odd name for a small town. I know what you all think, and no, I've never seen any rose painted in silver on the streets. Nor was that ever a thing... At least, not on any of the documents I found. Actually, that name comes from our local church. Silver gates separated the church from the cemetery at the time, which is very creepy but that's beside the point. And on those gates, unexplainably grew a bunch of red roses. But underneath the moonlight, it looked as if the roses were glowing with a silver color. It was a beautiful sight, apparently. So beautiful, in fact, that it became a local phenomenon. Each night, people would gather around the cemetery to watch the silver flowers. And from then on, it made history. But the strange name isn't the only interesting thing about our town. No, it's far from that. The most interesting thing about our town? Our very famous and notorious neighborhoods. Anyone who visits Silver Rose knows about the four founding neighborhoods, and their history is pretty amazing. Allow me to present them to you...

Earl Grey.

The first neighborhood in town. It was founded by Earl the second Grey, a very rich man who was dating an alleged witch. And because of the constant harassment his girlfriend got, Earl Gray decided to divide himself from the others, in order to protect her from getting hurt by the all the gossip that's been going around. A lot of rich people lived there. Earls, lords, barons. Gigantic mansions were created to shelter them from the rest of the town.  
Today, Earl Gray is known for its victorian styled houses. It's one of the few neighborhoods that haven't been renewed, which explains why a lot of old people still live there, probably because of the nostalgia. It's very quiet. I actually live there, and if anyone's car is broken, you can always visit my friend's Ari's car garage!  
Now, it might seem like Earl Gray was a gentleman but he was far from that. He was actually a cheater, and that's why his girlfriend broke up with him. Which resulted in the creation of the second neighborhood...

Sanveil.

Founded by Sandy Veilington, an alleged witch. She was dating Earl Gray, and she was very much in love. But things went downhill when she realized that he had been cheating on her with various other women. She then decided to leave him and create her own neighborhood, extremely close to the woods. It was believed that Sandy chose to be close to the woods in order to perform her witchcraft much more easily. People claim that Earl Gray was found dead just a few weeks after the creation of Sanveil, in the middle of those woods, and they all strongly believe that it was Sandy's way of making him pay for cheating on her. And since the discovery of his body, Sandy Veilington vanished, as if she had never existed. Aside from all the witchcraft and creepy murders, Sanveil is surprisingly a very calm neighborhood today. It's where the local library is, and where my friend Julia lives. Not much to say about it, aside from the creepy backstory. Oh, and it's the closest to school so, that's a fun fact. But moving on, don't you think that these stories lack a bit of... art? Fear not, because that brings us to the third neighborhood in town.

Hills Heights.

This story is probably my favorite of them all. Mostly because it was constructed by a mime. Yes, a mime. Rubius Heights, a traveling mime who visited Silver Rose to perform on the streets and make a bit of money. He sadly noticed the lack of interest people shown in arts, and he went along to find many unlucky artists, who had no chance of making a future from their art. Silver Rose was driven by money and murder, and Rubius Heights wanted that to change. He wanted to give the lost artists a voice, and with their help, they created the lovely neighborhood we know today.  
Most notorious for its wish fountain, where people would throw a bunch of coins and make a wish. We still do that to this day, and the fountain's water is always a different color by night.  
Hills Heights holds the art center of this town, as well as a skate part. The buildings there are very different and it's the most modern looking neighborhood.  
And last but not least, let me introduce the final neighborhood of this town.

The Horowitz.

Most likely named after Cher Horowitz from Clueless. The neighborhood of luxury and fame. It welcomed many celebrities from the time, founded by Monica Horowitz, a very famous actress. She deemed that it was important for celebrities to have their own safe place.  
Today, we know The Horowitz as the neighborhood of luxurious houses and expensive cars. It's very fancy and quite isolated from the other neighborhoods. Many famous people still live there, and it's the closest to the mall and other expensive clothing stores. My best friend, the coolest dude on earth lives there! Oh, and Cara too... I had to mention that, in fears of being poisoned or anything like that. But that concludes today's subject.  
As you can all see, Silver Rose has a lot of history to it, and although I couldn't tell you everything, I still hope that you could learn a few things from this presentation. thank you all for your attention."

"Good job, Wright! I loved it. Thank you for your efforts, I'm pleased. You may regain your seat." The teacher congratulated, and Evan smiled widely, nodding his head before regaining his seat while the classroom was being filled with small rounds of applause.

"You fucking crushed it, man! That's my best friend!" Kei whisper shouted proudly, turning around to face Evan who was laughing quietly to himself. 

Kei was Evan's best friend since childhood, a handsome troublemaker. Leather jackets, slicked back dark brown hair, slightly tanned skin, green eyes, and a killer smile. The typical fuckboy by the looks of it, charming yet troublesome.

"Thanks, man. I was so nervous." Evan sighed softly, leaning back on his seat before feeling a pen pressing on his back.

"Nice work, Wright. Would've been better if you didn't make me sound like a witch." Cara rolled her eyes, her thick eyebrows knitted into a frown.

"Sorry, queen bee. But you kinda forced me to mention you." Evan apologized with an obvious lack of sincerity, making the blonde girl scoff.

"Ugh, please. Queen bees are so old school. This is queen C's reign. Plus, you can't talk about the neighborhood I live in without mentioning me. So, a word of advice, make sure to know what you're saying when you're talking about me." 

Cara warned with her usual bitchy glare. It was typical of her; she was haughty, arrogant, entitled. The basic popular girl, with a rotten personality. No one could deny that she was a total beauty though. Long, straight blonde hair, porcelain skin, dark blue eyes, thick eyebrows, plump red lips and big eyes with long fluttering lashes. If only her attitude was as pretty as her face.

And before he could answer, the loud ringing of the bell dismissed the class. Evan stood up, ruffling his messy black hair as he waited for Kei to gather up all of his stuff. His light blue eyes were staring at the ground as he impatiently tapped his foot against the floor.

"Alright, let's go! They're waiting for us." Kei threw his backpack lazily across his shoulder, and the two boys left the classroom together, making their way to the crowded cafeteria.

"There you finally are. I was starving!" Ari complained with a grumpy expression on her face.

"No, she wasn't. She's being dramatic." Julia giggled from beside her, pushing the two trays of food in front of the two boys who had just joined their table. "I saved those for you."

Julia and Ari completed the friend circle. Although Kei and Evan were the closest to each other, the two girls also played a huge part in their lives, and together, they formed a great friendship.

Julia was the sweeter one. The innocent, fragile, delicate sweetheart who made everyone adore her in many different ways. She was friendly, helpful, intelligent, kind, and warm hearted. With her short fair hair and light brown eyes, her squeezable cheeks, and her cute smile, it was hard not to like her.

Ari was quite the opposite. She was tough, direct, uncontrollably sarcastic and cold until she warmed up to you. Her long dark hair was always pulled into a tight ponytail, her greyish eyes were piercing. She was taller and much more reserved, but was also a sweetheart when she wanted to.

"Thank you, Julita. I owe you my life." Kei winked playfully, earning an audible gag from Ari, who almost choked on her fries.

"By the way, I mentioned your dad's car care garage in my project." Evan bragged with a smile, taking a bite out of his sandwich.

"That sucks, I wish I could've cheered on you. But I'm sure you did great anyways. You always do." Ari smiled back at him. "Speaking of my dad, he hasn't called me yet. Progress!"

The whole table gasped at that statement, all three of them staring down at their watches to check the time. Knowing how protective her dad was, they were all surprised to see that he hadn't called her yet. But just as their hopes got up, the familiar ringtone could be heard, vibrating from Ari's pocket. "Eh... false hope. I'll be back."

Ari excused herself to pick up the call, and as she was walking away, she saw a familiar red haired boy walking towards their table. "Hey, Ari! Do you-"

"Can't you see that I'm on the phone?" Ari shook her head before walking out of the cafeteria, and the boy stopped at their table with an enthusiastic smile. "Yo, guys! You're all invited!"

"Oh, hey Matias." Julia greeted with a friendly smile.

"What's up, man?" Kei gave him a curious look, even though he knew exactly what he meant.

"You're all invited to my party tonight!" Matias exclaimed. "I'll see ya there?"

"Possibly. Possibly not." Evan shrugged, too caught up in his food.

"Yes, you will! Thank you for the invites." Julia corrected politely and Matias took his leave.

Matias was known for being the daredevil of the school. He was outgoing and extremely funny, to the point where it exceeded ridiculous. He always dyed his hair different colors as the result of many different dares. His current hair color was a vibrant red, leaning towards hot pink. His hair was tied into a manbun. His skin was sun kissed, his eyes a beautiful hazel. He had a lot of confidence, and had no shame in doing anything for a few laughs or good memories.

"What did I miss?" Ari asked as she sat down next to Julia.

"Matias invited us to his party tonight." Kei informed her.

"It might be fun." Julia suggested.

"His parties are always fun!" Kei assured.

"Ugh, I don't know. I'll pass." Ari shrugged, seemingly uninterested.

"Same." Evan added, taking a final bite out of his sandwich before slurping on his soda.

"You two are so fucking lame." Kei rolled his eyes.

"You know what's lame? Your pickup lines." Ari gave him a sweet smile, making the two others laugh.

"I'm never using them on you. Does that hurt your feelings?" Kei pouted fakely.

"Gross." Ari shook her head.

"Stop bickering, you two." Julia scolded playfully.

"He started it." Ari smiled, looking at her phone.

"Because I want you to be a little more social and have fun. If you keep being crispy, you might turn into an ugly bag of chips by the age of thirty." Kei warned her with an exaggerated tone.

"What the fuck does that even mean?" Ari laughed lightly.

"All I'm saying is that you need to have fun! That goes for you too, Evan. So, I'm forcing you both to come to this party. We'll have lots of fun." Kei promised.

"I can't wait!" Julia smiled happily.  
Ari and Evan simply looked at each other before sighing in defeat.

——

Back in the hallways, Cara was leaning against the lockers, lips locked with Josh, in the middle of their makeout session. Those two were off and on again, the definition of an unstable relationship. One day, Cara would push Josh away and the other, they would find themselves in this same exact position.

"Babe, you're so hot." Josy bit his lower lip once he pulled away to catch his breath.

"I know." Cara held him by the collar of his varsity jacket, crashing their lips together once again.

They were both interrupted by the sound of footsteps coming their way.  
"Josh, we have to go. Practice." Chad reminded with his usual quiet tone.

"Shit, we gotta save those kisses for another time. Let's save them for tonight, yeah?" Josh gave her a final kiss before pulling away for good.

"Yeah, I guess. Did you see my sister anywhere?" Cara looked over at Chad who gave her a small nod.

"I was with her in the parking lot. She's waiting for you. By your car." Chad informed her before walking away. Josh gave sent a wink flying her way before following his friend into the gymnasium. 

Josh and Chad were the two jocks of the school. Athletic and attractive, but that was the only thing they had in common.  
Josh was loud, and a bit of a bully. He had blonde hair and brown eyes, whilst Chad had smooth dark skin and short black hair. He was a lot quieter, only spoke when spoken to, he carried a very brooding aura with him.

Cara made her way back to the parking lot, spotting her sister leaning against her car, eyes fixated on her phone.

"How long have you been waiting?" Cara asked as she unlocked her pink car.

"Well, I had a meaningful conversation with Chad which lasted about twenty minutes and the movie I'm watching is halfway done so I'll let you do the math." Caroline, or as everyone liked to call her, Caro replied with a smile.

"You know I hate math. Whatever, let's go." Cara shrugged, getting on the driver's seat.

"Why do you wanna go home so early?" Caro got inside the car and fastened her seatbelt.

"Because I have to get ready for tonight. I'll either have fun with Josh or break his heart for the millionth time. I gotta look good while doing it." Cara started driving away.

Caroline simply sighed, looking out of the window as she plugged in her earphones.

Cara and Caro were the definition of opposite twins. And despite their striking resemblance, anyone could easily tell them apart. Caro had slightly wavy hair, her eyebrows were a little less thicker than Cara's and her lips were always painted with pink gloss whilst Cara stuck with her wine red. Their personalities were also extremely different, and if they didn't look so similar, it would have been hard to tell that they were twins.

——

Classes ended, and the group of friends split up. Kei wanted to walk Julia home, while Ari and Evan walked together since they both lived in the same neighborhood.

"I'm gonna have to convince my dad to let me go to that stupid party." Ari rolled her eyes, and Evan hummed softly.

"I could go with you, your dad loves me."

"He loves me more, though."

"Fair point." Evan chuckled.

"You can come pick me up if you want." Ari smiled, and Evan gave her a small nod.

"Alright! Try not to wear your ripped jeans."

"I'm not changing." Ari insisted, and Evan wasn't surprised at all by the response. 

The two of them separated in front of Ari's door while Evan carried on until he reached his own house.

"Mom? Are you here?" Evan called out as he closed the door behind him. But nothing, no response. And so he assumed that she was still at work. Evan went upstairs to his room and threw his backpack on his bed before shoveling through his clothes and picking out a simple outfit for the party.

——

"Dad, I'm home." Ari announced, smiling at her father who looked as if he was in a rush.

"How was your day, sweetheart?" Her father smiled, walking towards her to place a gentle kiss on her forehead.

"Eh, as usual! Where are you going?" Ari looked at him curiously.

"I closed the garage. Night shift at the coffee shop." He announced, checking his watch. "I have to get going. There's pizza in the fridge. And some soda."

"Hey, I can stay in the garage for you!" Ari offered, but her father was quick to refuse.

"We've already talked about this, Ari. Go do your homework or just enjoy yourself. You're not working." He smiled, ruffling her hair.

"Fine... I was wondering if I could go to a party tonight." Ari asked, uncertain.

"Who will be there?"

"All of my friends. Which is why I'm going." Ari shrugged.

"Of course you can go. Make sure to lock the doors and stay safe! If anything happens, call me. I love you, kid."

"I love you, dad. Work hard. But not too hard." Ari smiled, waving at her dad as he made his way outside, closing the door behind him. It was a bit surprising, how easily he gave her permission. Maybe it was because he was too caught up in his work, which was something that Ari considered almost stereotypical of an Asian dad, it was typical of him. 

She sighed, leaning against the counter. "Now what am I supposed to wear?"

——

The sun was setting quickly, allowing the dark sky to be painted with stars. The music was loud, vibrating from Matias' gigantic villa. Multiple cars were parked all around the street, surrounding the house.

"Let's go inside!" Julia smiled, her green dress hugging her curves in all the right places.

Ari made an effort to change her outfit after constant begging on the phone from Julia. She was wearing a red tube top with a black bomb jacket over it, and ripped black shorts. Evan was wearing a dark blue hoodie with black jeans while Kei was rocking his usual leather jacket and ripped jeans look.

"I don't know about you but I'm ready for some shots! And for some hookups." Kei smirked, making his way inside the crowded house.

"Well I don't know about you but I feel like this night isn't gonna end well." Ari sighed, sticking her hands in her pockets.

"Don't be so pessimistic! We'll have fun." Julia smiled, linking her arm around Ari's and getting inside the house. 

Evan followed behind them, and they were quickly faced by the host of the party himself, Matias Roid. He had a tube of lipstick in hands, his lips painted with a flashy pink color.

"Guys! What's up, y'all?" Matias greeted with a smile.

"We just got he-" Evan started but got cut off immediately.

"What do you think of my lipstick? Bet you can't resist those luscious lips, ay?"   
Matias winked playfully, sending everyone into a fit laughter, while Evan just stood there awkwardly.

"I think you look great! It matches your red hair." Julia laughed softly.

"So do you, bella." Matias returned the compliment.

"I'm sure Evan can't wait to smooch those lips right off your face." Kei joked around, wrapping one arm around Evan's shoulder.

"I wanna go home." Evan whispered under his breath.

"Meet me after the party if you're interested! Enjoy the partaaay!" Matias cheered loudly before leaving the friends alone.

"I don't understand how that guy is so popular." Ari questioned herself.

"He does crazy stupid shit. Everyone loves crazy stupid shit!" Kei explained with a chuckle.

"I'm actually gonna need a drink." Ari sighed, walking over to the bar.

"Only apple juice is allowed!" Julia followed behind her like a worried mother.

And soon enough, Kei's arm was no longer on Evan's shoulder, and Evan was left alone, unable to find his friends amongst the waves of multitudes of bodies moving around.

People were dancing, making out, drinking. It was like any typical party, but knowing Matias, it was going to be just a tiny bit wilder. Maybe some firework explosions by the pool, maybe someone catching fire and getting pushed in the pool, maybe people getting naked and running around the streets. Anything could happen at the daredevil's party.

Evan groaned quietly. "Great, now I'm left alone." He sighed and decided to try and go find his friends. He would eventually just give up and go home if he failed to find them. Yeah, that sounded like a typical Evan plan.

As he was looking for his friends, Evan got pushed around quite a lot, scolded from drunken people who were too busy eating each other's tongues and ultimately pushed to bump against someone, almost making the boy fall to the ground.

"God, I'm so sorry!" Evan apologized, turning around to glare at whoever pushed him against that poor boy.

"It's nothing, I expected to be thrown into the ground and stomped to death coming here." The boy replied, his voice although extremely soft dripped with sarcasm.

And so Evan finally turned around to look at the boy's face, his breath getting caught up in his throat from seeing his beautiful features. Light brown eyes that resembled honey, a small button nose with a bit of highlight on the tip, slightly curly light brown hair and very soft looking plump lips.

Evan realized that he had been staring, and so he quickly cleared his throat, letting out a laugh at the sarcastic comment. "This place really is crowded."

"It's Matias' party, so it was expected." The pretty boy showed him a small smile.

"We haven't even been talking for a minute and you've already expected all of this." Evan remarked with a raised eyebrow.

The boy laughed. "I expected you to say that."

"Did you expect to bump into me?" Evan smiled, feeling a sudden burst of confidence. He wasn't usually like this.

"No, but I expected you to bump into me." The boy answered with a proud smile, and Evan laughed.

"Well, should I expect to know your name?"

"I'm Aiden. And you're Evan."

"How did you know that?"

"We're in the same history class. I loved your project. As you can guess, I'm new here, and you unknowingly showed me around town. So thank you for that." Aiden smiled, and Evan tried to stop himself from staring once again.

"Oh... well! I'm really glad I could tell you about the history of our neighborhoods, but there's still a lot of cool spots in town."

"Does that mean you're willing to show me around in person?"

"Well, yeah. Wouldn't want you to get lost or anything!" Evan chuckled awkwardly, and Aiden laughed softly.

"Then it's a date! I'm expecting you to show me around all the cool hangout spots in Silver Rose."

"Wow, you have a lot of expectations."

"Are they too high for you?"

"It would be my pleasure to show you around town, Aiden. Welcome to Silver Rose." Evan bit his lower lip softly, feeling his heart beat just a tiny bit faster than it did at the beginning of the night.

"Thank you. I love it already." Aiden smiled, his high cheekbones showing off from how much he was grinning. The two boys kept staring at each other, both smiling uncontrollably, lost in their own little world. But their moment was interruped by a very familiar voice.

"I've been looking for you." Cara stepped closer to Aiden, giving Evan a subtle glare. "Wright."

"Lilac." Evan smiled, nodding his head at her.

"Caroline is looking for you, she says she wants to show you something." Cara looked up to Aiden who looked a bit reluctant to leave.

"Alright. Evan, it was a pleasure to meet you. I'll see you around." Aiden gave him a final smile, waving his hand before turning around and walking away.

Evan watched as he walked away, mesmerized by the way his body moved, his voice still ringing in his ear like a melody that won't get out of his head. "Yeah... See you..."

"Oh my god, are you crushing on him?" Cara gasped, suddenly smiling mischievously. That made Evan snap back to reality, blinking quickly.

"What? We literally just met." Evan defended.

"Well then wipe that stupid smile off your face, loverboy." Cara smirked, crossing her arms.

"Actually, I'm leaving."

"If you want dating advice, you can come to me. I'll charge you with a 100 bucks because you don't get on my nerves too often. See how nice I'm being?" Cara laughed, and Evan rolled his eyes.

"Night, Cara." He waved with a small smile before exiting the house.

Evan tried to see if he could spot anyone he knew on his way to the door, but none of his friends were there. By this point, Evan gave up completely on the idea of finding them, his need to go home getting stronger and stronger with each second passing by. And so, Evan walked outside, smiling to himself as walked on the grass, his heart still beating fast from the encounter he just had.

But Evan's smile quickly dropped once he heard a few loud screams, alarming him and making him jump. Evan quickly followed the sound of the screams, it came from where the pool was, on the other side of the garden. And when he got there, Evan froze. His heart stopped at the sight.

Julia was thrown on the ground, eyes closed, with blood pooling from the back of her head. Evan's breath got heavier as he realized what was going on, his eyes instantly moving up to stare at the balcony. The windows were wide open, and from the side of his eye, Evan spotted someone peeking out and quickly backing away.

"Somebody call an ambulance! Call a fucking ambulance!" Kei's alert scream brought Evan back to reality, and his wide eyes looked over at Julia's frozen body, his heart tightening in his chest.

That's when Evan realized; somebody had pushed her out of that balcony.


	2. hospital beds and empty sheets.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back again although I don't think anyone really reads this. But yeah, hope you enjoy this chapter.

Midnight. 

An ambulance and a sports car racing towards the same location, the Silver Rose hospital. 

The usually silent streets were now filled with whispers of gossip about what went down at the daredevil's party. Each person coming up with their own theories, their own versions of what had happened to the friendliest girl in town. Some say they saw her purposely jumping out of the balcony, others say she fell accidentally, possibly because of how drunk she was. But Evan Wright saw something entirely different. 

The cold air of the night wasn't so refreshing anymore. It was suffocating, nauseating. It sucked the breath right out of his lungs, his heart beating faster than the speed at which Kei was driving like a mad man. Kei's hands were shaking but also firmly gripping the streering wheel of Matias' car. The host of the party thought it was the least he could do for them, while Ari took off in the ambulance.

The ride to the hospital was deadly silent, the two boys were both caught up in the panic, the rush, their minds racing with all sorts of thoughts. All they hoped for was for Julia to be okay, that's all they wanted. 

Once the car stopped, Evan and Kei both rushed inside the medical building, gasping for air once they were at the reception. The woman gave them a worried glance as they started talking over each other, shouting Julia's name breathlessly, which sounded more like gibberish than anything else. 

"Julia! Julia Adora!" Evan managed to say after taking a minute to collect himself.   
"Oh, yes. Room 133, third floor. But it would be better for you to wait he-"   
Before she could finish her sentence, the two boys ran towards the elevator. 

The elevator doors opened, revealing an empty waiting room and a worried Ari pacing around. Kei rushed to her side in no time, holding her closer while a small whine escaped her lips as she returned the embrace. "I called the parents, they're on their way. The doctor is in her room. I'm so scared..." 

"Shh, it's okay.. She's gonna be okay.." Kei whispered as he closed his eyes, lolling in the warmth and comfort they brought each other. 

Evan couldn't join in on the hug, he simply stood there, frozen. The only thing replaying in his mind was the haunting image of that shadow, that person pushing Julia down. Who could do such a thing? And for what reason? It was all a blur. How would he bring it up? He doesn't have any proof, any evidence to back it up. Who would believe him? 

"Evan?" A deep voice snapped him out of his thoughts, pulling him back to reality.

"Dr. Varga?" He blinked quickly, feeling incredibly stupid at how stunned he was for seeing a doctor in a hospital. 

The doctor had a kind smile on his face. His dark smooth skin hardly showed any wrinkles, making him seem much younger than he truly was. His bald head, brown eyes and white classical white blouse stayed true to Evan's memories.   
Dr. Varga was a generalist, which meant that anyone who has ever been to this hospital has either seen him or was treated by him. In Evan's case, it was the asthma attacks that occurred almost daily when he was a kid. His mother would drive him up to the hospital in the middle of the night, and he would be under Dr. Varga's care. He was well-known and highly respected amongst the staff of the hospital and the people of the town. 

"You all seem awfully worried. There's no need to, Julia is doing wonderfully well. She's only suffering from minor concussions and broken legs. These things do get better with rehabilitation. It could have been a lot worse, trust me. It's fortunate that she didn't fall from a drastical distance. You should get something to eat and drink while you wait for her. She might wake up soon." The doctor gave them a friendly pat on the shoulder before excusing himself and walking towards another room, probably to check on another patient. 

"He's right, guys, we should relax. I'll go get us some snacks and some water." Kei walked down the hall, towards the vending machine, leaving Ari and Evan alone. 

The waiting room was empty, most likely due to the fact that visiting hours were over. They sat down on the chairs, with Evan quietly staring at the floor. He was stiff, nervous, and perturbed. 

"Julia... how did this happen?" Ari mumbled to herself, sighing deeply. 

"Where were you when it happened?" Evan blurted out, without meaning for it to sound accusatory. 

"I was left alone and so I decided to look around and explore the house." Ari replied, not paying much attention to the defensive tone of the question. "What about you?" 

"I ran into... someone while looking for you guys." Evan marked a pause when remembering his meeting with Aiden. "But I couldn't find you anywhere so I decided to go home. That's when it happened..."

Ari didn't fail to notice how bothered and disturbed Evan seemed to be. She knew that something was bothering him immensely. "We're all worried about Julia. But something tells me there's something else going on with you."

Evan sighed, lifting his head up to meet Ari's strong gaze. He couldn't hide it. Surely, his friends would believe him. "You're right, guess I can't keep anything from you... I saw something. There was someone at the balcony." 

Ari's eyebrows furrowed slightly. "What are you trying to say?" 

"Someone pushed Julia out of that balcony." Evan revealed, feeling the weight shifting only slightly. 

"Wait... what?"

"I saw a shadow. It backed away as soon as I took a glimpse of it, but I couldn't make out the facial features. It was too dark and they backed away so fast..." 

"A shadow? Are you sure it wasn't just the curtains or something? Maybe you had a bit too much to drink. The night was eventful, and the strong emotions mixed with the alcohol could make you... see things." 

"I didn't drink a drop of alcohol at the party. Ari, you have to believe me, please. I know what I saw. I can't recognize the face but I can tell you that I'm pretty certain it was a guy." 

"Pretty certain? Do you have any idea of how severe these claims are? How can you make out whether it was a guy or a girl from a simple shadow? And... who would do something like that? Who would want to cause Julia any harm? That girl is the sweetest, she gets along with everybody. It just doesn't make sense." 

"Well I don't know! I wish I did, but I don't! I don't know why someone would do that either! But there's one thing I know for sure, and it's that I saw someone standing there. Why would I make up something like that? I'm not a liar." 

"Evan... I'm not calling you a liar. But it's been a horrific night for all of us. Maybe it would be best if you just went home to rest up and really think about what you saw." 

"You don't believe me..." Evan chuckled sadly, not that it was all that surprising, but he was just expecting his friends to have more faith and trust in him. 

"It just doesn't make any sense. It's not logical. You have no evidence. The cops are possibly gonna interrogate us. If you tell that to the police, they'll laugh right in your face. I'm just trying to help you."

"No! I know what I saw, okay?" Evan stood up suddenly, facing Ari with a frown on his face. "I don't care if they laugh, because I'm telling the truth. Whether anyone believes me or not. I'm gonna prove it, one way or another." 

"You just look crazy right now. Do whatever you want, I don't care. But you better not bring this up in front of Julia. She doesn't need to get paranoid because you saw a fucking shadow." Ari spat out, giving him a glare. 

Evan scoffed and shook his head before walking away, running into Kei who was just coming back with a bag full of snacks and water bottles. 

"Woah, what's going on here?" Kei asked, perplexed to see the exasperated expressions on their faces. 

"I need some fresh air." Evan walked past him, while Kei simply gave Ari an interrogating look. 

"I'm going to the bathroom." Ari stood up before walking away as well, leaving Kei alone. 

The boy sighed and took a seat before reaching inside the bag, pulling out a candy bar. "Guess it's just us for now." 

——

 

Evan stepped outside, sitting on the cold stairs. The cold breeze of the night blew on his hair, giving him a sense of relief. This night was slowly crushing him down. He buried his face in the palm of his hands and let out a long sigh. He hated arguments in general, but it was far worse when it was with his friends. It was almost like betrayal, although he understood why she wouldn't believe him, in a way. It was stressful, and Evan couldn't shake off the hurtful feelings that clung onto his heart. 

"Rough night, huh?" Chad's voice made Evan look up in surprise, he was the last person he was expecting to see. 

"Chad? What are you doing here?" Evan asked as he ran his hands through his hair. 

"I wanted to talk to you." Chad stepped closer, hands buried in the pockets of his football jacket. It was odd to see him making the first step in a conversation since he was awfully quiet. That only sparked Evan's curiosity even more. 

"Talk about what?" Evan's voice was full of inquisitiveness.

"I listened to your conversation with Ari. Unintentionally." Chad admitted quietly, his voice was deep and husky. "I saw it too. The shadow." 

"You... You did?!" Evan stood up from the stairs immediately, his eyes wide. He knew that he wasn't crazy. 

"Yeah. I do believe someone pushed her out of that balcony." Chad nodded, and Evan felt a strong sense of relief washing over his chest. Someone believed him. 

"God, you have no idea how much I needed to hear someone else say that. We must inform the authorities!" 

"No, we're not telling anyone. I came here to warn you about them. We can't trust the cops in this town." Chad's voice was severe, dark. It hid a lot of hatred and pain. 

"What?! Isn't your sister a cop?" Evan was in disbelief. The relief he had just felt was all gone. 

"She is, so you best believe I'm not playing around when I tell you that they shouldn't be trusted." 

"But... We can't stay quiet about this! And why shouldn't they be trusted?" 

"You made a project about the town's history. I figured you'd be aware of the reason. But I guess nobody cares when it comes to us." Chad shook his head, looking disappointed. That only made Evan even more perplexed than before.

"What are you talking about?" 

"Look. Just don't expect much from the cops, alright? They're incompetent." Chad took a few steps backwards. "Tell Julia I wish her a speedy recovery." 

And with that, Chad walked away, leaving Evan alone outside the hospital, with a million more questions flooding his head. 

——

After a few minutes, Evan went back inside the waiting room that was no longer as empty as he left it to be. It was now filled with a few police officers and more doctors. And oh, their parents had arrived. 

"Evan! Where were you? I was getting worried." His mother quickly pulled him into a tight hug, which he returned slowly. 

"I needed to breathe for a while." He mumbled quietly. 

"I understand. Julia is awake now, the doctor says you can see her briefly." She informed him, pointing the the room. Evan gave his mom a nod before entering the room rather hesitantly. 

His friends were already there. Ari was sitting on the bed while Kei was on the chair. Julia was sitting up comfortably with a sweet smile on her face, her green party dress replaced by a hospital gown. 

"Evan, come here." Julia spoke up with her usual cheerful tone, although it seemed much more tired and exhausted. She still needed to rest. 

Evan obliged and stepped closer to her, kneeling down to hold her hands gently. He managed to return a smile. It was one of the things he admired about her, how she was able to smile so brightly even in the darkest of times. "Hey there, Poison Ivy." 

Julia giggled at the nickname. It came from her obsession with the color green. From her outfits to her room's wallpaper and even her phone case, green would always be present. She hated her eyes for being brown and unable to handle contacts all that well. 

"You guys look so worn out... I'm sorry for making you worry. I feel good, just a bit lightheaded and sleepy." Julia explained in an attempt at making their worry lessen. 

"Do you remember anything before the fall?" Evan asked cautiously, he needed to know more. 

"We have to let her rest." Ari interrupted quickly while Evan shot her a glare. 

"I agree. We should go." Kei sighed, unable to stand the tension between the two. He moved closer to Julia's side and left a long kiss on her cheek. "We'll be back tomorrow. Sleep well, bella."

Julia smiled and gave him a nod. "I'm not sure it's appropriate to call me bella right now, I probably look like a zombie." 

"I've never seen such a beautiful zombie in my life, then." Kei chuckled and left a last kiss on her forehead before pulling away.

"Aw, you're the cutest... Where are the rest of my kisses?" Julia pouted as she looked over at the remaining two who were still frowning at each other. 

Ari moved closer and wrapped her arms around Julia's body very carefully, giving her a long hug and small kisses on the cheek. Evan did the same once it was his turn. Julia smiled, enjoying the affection. It was very common, especially in moments like these, when everything felt so cold. 

"You better not tire yourself out." Kei warned as he opened the door. 

"I'm not going anywhere." Julia chuckled as she waved her hand around slowly. They all wished each other a good night before stepping out of the room and closing the door behind them. 

"I was about to come in and ask you guys to leave." Dr. Varga spoke up from behind them, making them turn around. "She needs to rest, and so do you." 

"Thank you, doctor. We will." Kei smiled and turned around to face his two friends while the doctor took his leave. 

"My dad is waiting for me." Ari walked over to her father, and Evan looked around, spotting Chad's older sister and quickly walking over to her. 

"Aiyah?" Evan called out for her and she turned around. She was tall and slim with a beautiful afro. Her face features were soft yet fierce at the same time, plump lips and a sharp jawline contrasting with her big brown eyes. "Why's the police here?"

"We wanted to have a talk with Julia, but we're leaving that for tomorrow." She replied with a soft smile. She always looked serious and focused, but much more smiley and lively than her younger brother. She excused herself, wishing him a good night before walking away to join her team. 

Evan sighed and went back to join his mother, who was in the middle of a discussion with Ari's dad and Kei's mom. 

"In moments like those, I realize why I'm so protective of my daughter. I can't afford to lose her too." Ari's dad spoke up with sorrow in his voice as he referred to his late wife. Ari looked down at the mention of her mother, and Kei placed his hand atop her shoulder. It was his way of silently comforting her. 

"I understand your pain, Jaesung. But we can't shelter our kids from everything. No matter how much we long to protect them, sometimes the matter simply just isn't in our hands." Kei's mom said with a sigh. 

"I agree with Laeticia. And they grow up so fast, too. It's hard to keep track sometimes." Evan's mom replied while placing her hands around her son's shoulders. 

"Oh, Melany. Do you remember how small our boys were when they started playing with each other? They were so small, running around the playground. To think they'll be graduating high school by the end of the year." Laeticia sighed deeply as she looked over at her son with a nostalgic gaze. 

"Time is a precious thing. We must know how to enjoy every second before it vanishes away." Jaesung added to the conversation with his wise tone. "Speaking of which, we should all get home." 

"Yes, but I wonder why Julia's parents aren't here yet... Were they informed of her hospitalization?" Laeticia asked with concern in her voice. 

And just as the words left her mouth, the elevator doors opened up to reveal a couple of nurses and doctors rushing two people into the emergency room. 

As they walked past them, Evan took a glance at the people on the beds, his eyes widening in shock upon recognizing the bloody faces. 

Mr. and Mrs. Adora, Julia's parents. 

——

"A car crash while rushing to the hospital... What a tragedy." Laeticia sighed deeply, placing a hand on her chest. "Thank heavens they were able to survive." 

"They're in a coma... How can I break this to her?" Kei asked, feeling a sharp pain in his heart just by imagining Julia's reaction to the news. 

"It's not your responsibility. The doctors will take care of it." She replied as she held his hand. "Don't beat yourself up for something that isn't your fault, sweetheart." 

"It's just been a shitty night." Kei nodded and looked over at the chauffeur who was driving them back home. "I'm sorry. You have a flight to catch tomorrow and you're staying up because of me."

"Don't be silly, you're more important than any flight and any business. I delayed it, I'm leaving in two days." Laeticia smiled at her son, giving his hand a gentle squeeze. Despite not being the most present mother out there, she always made sure to let him know how much she loved him.

"I can't wait to see how the movie turns out." Kei managed to smile despite the eventful night full of horrors. He enjoyed the moments where he could speak to his mother since she was always traveling everywhere. Being a famous actress and supermodel came with a fully packed schedule. And although he loved having his privacy and the house all to himself, Kei couldn't deny that he missed her a lot. 

Laeticia had long blonde hair, her emerald green eyes were the most striking feature on her beautiful face, which Kei inherited from her. She looked tired most of the time, due to her constant work and traveling around the world. 

"It's not anything like the old movies I starred in when I was your age. The premiere is in a month, you can bring some of your friends with you if you want." 

"Hey, I think those movies were pretty cool. Don't worry, I won't miss it." 

"Good!" Laeticia smiled as she looked at her son with appreciation. "What do you say we have some chocolate pudding before going to bed?" 

"Woah, I think I need it. I haven't eaten anything yet." Kei chuckled, giving his mother a nod. 

It reminded him of the simpler times when he was younger, when they would always have those bounding moments while eating chocolate pudding in the middle of the kitchen. It was something they did whenever they needed to cheer up. They would sit on the kitchen counter, sometimes on the floor, and talk about their days. Whenever Kei was struggling in school, whenever she was struggling with work. Kei reminisced on the sweet memory with a smile on his face, easing the great pain in his heart just for a little while. 

——

"It could have been you in that hospital room. I wouldn't know what to do with myself if you got hurt." Jaesung spoke up as he stopped his small red car in front of their house. 

"Don't worry, dad. I'm a big girl, I can take care of myself." Ari sighed as she looked out the window, her earphones loosely hanging from her ears as the gentle rock music played from her phone. 

"No matter how big you get, how old you grow, you'll always be my small little princess." Jaesung smiled as he took a glance at his daughter. "You know, the more time goes by, the more you start looking exactly like your mother."

Ari felt the tears welling up as soon as the words left her dad's mouth. The night was rough, and despite trying to hold it in, the mention of her mother was enough to make her burst into tears. 

She still had fond memories of her mother, she remembers her short black hair and her loving embrace. Something Ari wasn't able to receive anymore after the age of ten. It's been seven years and yet, the pain still felt as fresh as ever. 

Jaesung quickly got out of the car, opening Ari's door and holding her in his arms. Despite the uncomfortable position, Ari allowed herself to sob against her father's chest. She always tried to be strong, to look tough. But she was extremely vulnerable inside.   
Even the strongest people need to feel loved and comforted. 

——

"You look so worn out." Melany sighed with worry as she looked over at her son. Her brown hair reached her shoulders, dark brown eyes focusing back on the road. She didn't look like her soon as he mostly resembled his father who also had clear blue eyes and jet black hair, which was something that Evan wasn't so pleased about. 

"Can you blame me?" Evan looked at his mother with tired eyes. 

"Of course not. But I don't want you to get sick again. You know what happens when you get too stressed out." 

"I know, but I'll be fine. I just need to get some sleep." 

"You know, you can tell me anything. If something's bothering you, if you have any problems, if you need any help with anything. You don't have to keep everything for yourself all the time." Melany parked the car and Evan hummed in response as he undid his seatbelt. "I get that you want to be responsible and that you want to take care of me. But I'm the adult here, and we both need to take care of each other."

"Yes, mom." Evan feigned a small smile before stepping out of the car and helping her carry some grocery bags inside the house. Placing the bags on the kitchen counter, Evan wished his mother a good night before walking up the stairs. He got inside his room and closed the door, falling on his bed in pure exhaustion. 

He laid there with his eyes closed, but he was unable to fall asleep. The shadow that pushed Julia, the argument with Ari, the warnings from Chad, the horrific sight of Julia's parents in those beds. Everything kept replaying in his head. He had so many thoughts, so many questions he longed to find the answers to. 

Giving up on the idea of slumber, Evan sat up and placed his laptop on the bed, opening it up, ready to do some research in hopes of clearing his mind. 

"Nobody cares when it comes to us." Chad's words kept repeating in his head. What could that mean? He did mention the history project that Evan did, could that have anything to do with his family? He tried to remember Chad's last name, typing it out on the keyboard with anticipation as he waited for the results to load. 

——

"Where were you?" A stern voice echoed through the halls of Kei's living room. 

"Dad? When did you get home?" Kei couldn't hide the frown that appeared on his face upon seeing his father's muscular figure sitting on one of the couches. 

If Kei got his green eyes from his mother, he surely got the rest from his father. Dark hair and tanned Hawaiien skin. His father was a businessman who traveled the world as well, which meant that neither of his parents were around. 

"We were at the hospital, Raymond." Laeticia answered as she made her way to join him on the couch, giving him a soft peck on the cheek. The display of affection didn't seem to change the authoritative and severe expression on his face. 

"Why? Did you get injured while practicing for one of your stupid dancing shows?" Raymond's voice was mocking, and Kei tried to keep his calm. It was always that way, he was used to it. His father looking down on his dreams and crushing them all without even trying to acknowledge his feelings, his passion or his talent. 

"They're not stupid. And no, I'm perfectly fine. Thanks for asking." Kei replied rather sarcastically as he walked up the stairs without looking back, slamming the door behind him sheer frustration.

It was hard, trying to prove himself to someone so close-minded and so dull. His father was the epitome of everything he feared to be when he grew up. Overworked, insensitive, vile and extremely unhappy. 

Kei took off his leather jacket and flopped down on his bed, closing his eyes and falling asleep instantly without even bothering to change out of his ripped skinny jeans. 

——

The next day at school, everyone seemed to be either extremely tired or eager for more information and gossip. 

Evan was one of those people who fit in the extremely tired category. Not having slept for the whole night left him looking like a modern day zombie, his skin much paler than usual and his eyes barely able to stay open for more than a few seconds. His steps were slow and lazy, his hair was a mess and his head was killing him. 

Slowly, he managed to open his locker, shuffling to find whatever book he needed for his first lesson of the day. 

"Ugh, it feels like a badly written episode of Gossip Girl. Why can't people just mind their own business for once in their lives?" Ari's voice could be heard from beside his locker. Evan looked up at saw the girl with her arms crossed against her chest, looking a lot more alive than he was. If he wasn't still aware of his surroundings, he could've sworn she was talking to him. 

Ari noticed Evan's terrible look. He looked sleepy, his outfit was barely coordinated and he seemed to be on the verge of collapsing. "Wow... are you okay?" 

Evan simply gave her a nod before closing his locker, a history book in hand. 

"We have English now." Ari remarked as she pointed at the book, and Evan sighed deeply before opening his locker again. 

"Look, I just wanted to say that I'm sorry for yesterday. I was a bit bitchy, I admit." Ari apologized as she looked over at him with worry in her eyes. "I don't like it when we fight." 

"Me neither. I'm sorry too." Evan closed his locker once more, with the same history book in hands. 

"I'll see you after class, we'll go visit Julia together. And that's still not an English book." Ari smiled and walked away, not wishing to disturb him any further. 

"Do you need help finding your books?" A sweet voice asked from behind him, and Evan widened his eyes, feeling a boost of energy exploding in his chest before frantically turning around to face him. 

"Aiden... You're here!" Evan laughed nervously, staring at the pretty boy who looked like a prince compared to him. 

"Yes, I go to this school now." Aiden chuckled playfully as he moved closer, leaning towards Evan's locker as he looked for a book. His perfume hit Evan's nostrils like a magical touch. It wasn't strong enough to be suffocating, but just right to be noticeable. It suited him well. It was sweet and yet had a hint of sensuality in it. Don't ask how he knew that. 

"There you go." Aiden smiled as he handed Evan his English book. The boy was still too caught up in Aiden's sweet scent to manage a response. "You look tired. Is everything okay?" 

"Oh... yes... I'm good." Evan muttered quietly as he held the book closer to his chest. "Thanks.. for the book." 

"I heard about your friend.. I'm really sorry about what happened." Aiden tried not to sound too blunt. He knew that it was technically none of his business, but he couldn't simply ignore the matter. 

"Yeah... she's doing fine though. She's a fighter." Evan smiled, touched by the fact that Aiden cared enough to ask. 

"If you need to talk or anything, just know that you can always come to me." Aiden placed a hand on Evan's shoulder, rubbing it in a sympathetic way. 

"That would be quite hard considering the fact that I don't have any way to join you." Evan chuckled. He always had that odd boost in confidence whenever Aiden was around, which was weird since he also got extremely nervous around him as well. 

"Oh, you're right! Wait, let me give you my number." Aiden smiled as he took Evan's history book right from his hands, taking out a black pen and writing his number on the first page of the book. "Now you can join me."

"It's always helpful to... be able to join people. Yeah." Evan cleared his throat awkwardly, and Aiden chuckled. 

"Of course. It's quite practical! I'll see you around, Evan." Aiden waved his hand slowly before walking away. The way he said his name was mesmerizing, he wished he could hear it over and over again. Glancing down at the history book, Evan smiled as he noticed what Aiden wrote on the paper. He wrote his number, followed by a small message. 

'Call me if you want to talk about anything (especially our date!)' signing his name with a small heart. 

"Cute... You're so cute..." Evan said out loud as he stared at the piece of paper, hearing a muffled laughter behind him. 

"Who's cute, Evy?" Kei asked as he curiously tried to see what was written on the book. But Evan shut it quickly and backed away. 

"No one! And don't call me Evy!" Evan groaned, he didn't want Aiden to somehow hear the stupid nickname, despite him being far away from them. 

"Okay, Eva." Kei laughed while Evan simply glared at him. 

"Shut up, Keith." Evan smirked triumphantly as he saw the smug expression on Kei's face disappear. 

"Hey, that's unfair! You know I really hate that!" Kei pouted as he followed behind Evan who started walking towards class. 

"It's literally your name." Evan rolled his eyes, and Kei shrugged. 

"It's ugly!" Kei explained in the simplest way. He truly hated his name, and it irked him whenever someone called him by his real name and not his nickname that everyone knew him as. 

"You're ugly." Evan chuckled but stopped once he spotted Chad by his own, leaning against the wall. "You can head to class first, I gotta talk to someone." 

Evan quickly walked towards Chad, who was listening to music, looking lost in his own world as he often did. He hesitantly tapped his shoulder to get his attention. "Hey..." 

Chad opened his eyes and took out his earphones. "Sup?" 

"Can we meet up tonight? We really need to talk." Evan looked around to make sure that nobody was coming their way. 

"Where?" Chad asked simply. 

"Elle's Cup?" Evan suggested, it was the town's diner. Everyone went there to have a milkshake, a coffee, some good food or simply to hang out. 

"Alright. Is eight good enough for you?" 

"Yes, that's perfect. I'll see you later." Evan nodded before walking back to class. He would still have time to visit Julia, which was the most important thing. 

——

"Why are you all smiley?" Caroline asked with a playful smile as she nudged Aiden's side. 

"Stop it! You didn't tell me guys here were so..." Aiden tried to come up with an adjective to describe Evan, but his brain failed to come up with something that could describe how beautiful and charming he was. 

"You've been here for less than a week and you already have a crush on someone? Jesus, you really are a hopeless romantic." Caroline rolled her eyes, unable to stop the wide smile that displayed on her lips. 

"I can't help it! He's just... I've never seen someone like him in my life. Those eyes, oh God... I could drown in them. They look like the clearest rivers!" Aiden sighed dramatically as he linked his arm around his Caroline's. 

"Clear blue eyes? Evan Wright?!" Caroline gasped as she stopped in front of their classroom. 

"Shhh! Shut up!" Aiden shushed her, looking around to try and hide the small tint of pink on his cheeks. The teacher looked at them and cleared his throat, waiting for them to get inside. 

"You're not getting out of this one." Caroline pulled him inside the classroom and Aiden sighed, he knew that a long night of love interrogation awaited him. 

——

"I'm glad to see that you both snapped out of your weird phase yesterday. What the hell even was that?" Kei asked as he wrapped his arms around Ari's and Evan's shoulders, the three of them walking towards the hospital. 

"I'll explain it later." Evan promised. 

"Hey, isn't that Dr. Varga?" Ari asked as she looked over at the doctor who was turning on another street. He was wearing his casual clothes, looking rather precipitated with his movements. 

"Maybe he's not working today." Kei shrugged and walked inside the hospital with his two friends. 

They immediately went to the elevator, pressing on the third button. Ari was holding a small bag of Chinese takeaway, she knew that hospital food wasn't the best, and that Julia had been craving it for quite a long time. 

They immediately went to her room upon the opening of the elevator doors. But she wasn't there. The bed was empty. 

"I'll go check the bathroom." Ari placed the small bag of takeaway on the bedside table before knocking on the bathroom room. 

Evan felt the worry raising in his chest. Something wasn't right, he was sure of it. 

"She's not in there!" Ari yelled after opening the bathroom door, looking around the room frantically. 

Julia was no longer in the room.

**Author's Note:**

> Please don't hesitate to let me know your thoughts.


End file.
